Level-IV emergency response to low temperatures activated in East, Central China

China's Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level-IV emergency response following rain, snow and freezing conditions in East China's Anhui Province and Central China's Henan and Hubei provinces on Tuesday, as there is a high risk of serious problems during the Spring Festival travel peak, the ministry said on Tuesday.

The authorities have dispatched working groups to the affected regions to guide relevant work on risk prevention and reduction.

The Central Meteorological Observatory continued to issue a yellow alert for heavy snow in some regions of the country at 6 pm on Tuesday. It predicted that from Tuesday night to Wednesday, there will be heavy to blizzard snow in some areas of East China's Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, as well as Hubei Province, and some other regions. There will be heavy blizzard snow in northwestern and southern parts of Shandong and southern Henan, with the snow reaching 20 to 25 millimeters, according to the meteorological authority.

Due to recent severe weather conditions such as rain, snow, and freezing rain, some schools have decided to delay the return to campus for the sake of student safety. In Yichang, Hubei Province, the schools (excluding high schools that have already started) postponed the start of classes to February 26 due to the impact of the weather, said the local education authorities.

Some other cities such as Jingzhou and Suizhou in Hubei Province have also delayed the start of school due to the weather.

Multiple universities in Wuhan also delayed the start of the spring semester due to the extreme weather, with some schools postponing the return date to March 2, Wuhan authorities said on Tuesday.

Some scenic spots in Wuhan have also been temporarily closed, and performances and exhibitions have been canceled, according to media reports.

Some train services have been cancelled as well. In Wuhan, stations have continued to improve emergency plans for dealing with icy and snowy weather. The waiting rooms provide hot water all day and the temperatures in carriages will be kept at above 18 C. The waiting rooms at the three major railway stations in Wuhan are open 24 hours a day, Wuhan railway authorities said on Tuesday.

The Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security issued a notice on Tuesday reminding travelers returning home after Spring Festival to try to avoid periods and areas affected by severe weather such as rain, snow, ice, fog, and dust storms, in order to avoid unnecessary delays.